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              LEARNING AND                  CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT

Training and development of the sales team should not stop at New Hire Orientation and the typical 30, 60, 90, 120 Day Onboarding plans.

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Continuous improvement starts with continuous development and tracking core competencies of each person on the team.

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There should be clear paths for New Hire Orientation, 30,60,90, 120 Day Onboarding, and Ongoing Development.  â€‹There must be a structured approach for each path and a clear transition from each stage to the next.  

 

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QUESTIONS:

  • Do you track core competencies of each person on your sales team?​

  • Do you have a tiered sales levels to build a career path for your team?

  • Do you share how you track competencies on a regular basis?

  • Do you regularly coach each person and assist in their development?

  • Do you hold each accountable to the goals you set when coaching?

  • Do you allow them to mentor your best-in-class reps?

  • Do you have advanced skill development for those that want to excel and hit stretch goals using the new advanced skills?

  • Do you have specialty development options such as time management, stress management, and communication best practices, or any number of things that may address gaps. 

NEW HIRE AND ONBOARDING

NEW HIRE 

What critical knowledge does each person need to know as they start in their new role?

 

Do you have onboarding content and a checklist on expectations at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days? 

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Do you have a collaborative approach to identifying and communicating gaps and performance issues at each milestone so that you are proactive in building core competencies at every stage?

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Do you regularly ask each person if they have additional knowledge needs or questions on relevant policies and procedures?

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Do you regularly discuss opportunities for growth and empowerment so that there is a direct tie between their competencies and a successful career path within your organization?

CORE COMPETENCIES

Building a core competency matrix for every role in your department is critical.  It is a strategic tool to identify, assess, and develop essential skills and capabilities.  This approach fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement, ultimately leading to higher job satisfaction.

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It doesn't have to be fancy.  It can even start as a spreadsheet as long as it has the framework of key competencies crucial for the role.

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If you are using a spreadsheet, you can use tabs to separate job-specific competencies for different roles or different levels.

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Don't make it too complex.  Think in terms of beginner (just learning skill), intermediate (knows basics of the skill), advanced (knows and applies skill), and expert (able to teach others and excels at the skill).

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Adding in performance metrics with each core competency will allow you to evaluate and track progress.

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Make sure you add soft skills that are relevant to a successful sales person like communication, problem-solving, negotiating, and others.

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By having a visual representation of competencies, you can make informed decisions about hiring, PIPs, and succession planning.

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Don't be afraid to fine tune the matrix as you grow your organization.

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